Magic
Magic in Faleal most likely comes from a single place, with the various disciplines and schools serving as both guide and filter. Exactly where this source lies is a hotly debated topic. The foremost scholars of the magic community theorize that magic, in any form, is drawn from the ancient residues of extraplanar battlefields, where godlike beings warred and died. These theorists agree that magic is both finite and incredibly dangerous, and helped to form the core goals of the powerful Order of Dawn. Mantra The Mantra is certainly the purest form of magic—which is reasonable, given that it was the first established by mortal races. Unlike most other forms of magic, it draws directly from the source, accessed by calling it by name; pronounced, inflected, and determined by each individual manipulator, resulting in unique variations on an incredibly simple theme, such as that of fire or the primal storm. Yriel, Ardyani hero and progenitor of the Coventran, stole the Mantra from the sleeping whispers of the Overseer in the First Age. It was first used to banish the krol, and it echoes across the world even now. The most common users of the Mantra are geomancers. Akashic Akashic power was born entirely from the heartfelt, foolhardy wish for a being of magic both innate and incorruptible. This power, drawn from the unknown source, is processed through the veilweaver’s own body and spirit, focused in a series of points called chakra, and spun by her will into tangible form. Ioun stones are commonly used to simulate these chakra points, and are common among veilweavers. The Coventran of the Second Age were the first to make use of akashic power, and modern techniques are drawn from their ancient texts and works. The most common users of akashic power are daevics, gurus, and viziers. Arcane Arcane magic, developed as a thought experiment by the Coventran and shared with the scholars of Grand Coven, is formulaic, structured, and wholly teachable. With ritualistic movements and items as a sort of sacrifice, arcanists draw reality-warping inspiration from the most minute of glimpses into the unknowable minds of Sovereigns. Most arcanists are not aware of this connection, and something within the Sovereign mind makes the sensation both addicting and euphoric. The Coventran of the Second Age were also the first to make use of arcane magic. Much of their early society was dedicated to sharing this knowledge with their disciples, and as such it has evolved over time. The first sorcerers and other innate arcanists arose with the blood of Zudron’s children in the Fourth Age. The most common users of arcane magic are arbiters, bards, sorcerers, and wizards. Divine Divine magic is not granted directly by the divine, as is commonly supposed. Instead, it uses the assembled hopes and faith of the Font as a funnel from the source, with the divine patron absorbing the brunt of any dangers such a draw may incur. Consequently, each priest extends the raw power a patron can wield at a time, while also draining more of their essence. Priests may never be aware of the regular sacrifices their patron makes to supply their power, but their faith is both rewarded and self-rewarding. The faithful of Faleal first called upon divine magic during the Third Age, following the worldwide inspiration that was the Night of Falling Stars. The first divine beings were the Titans, the Overseer, and select members of the Shrouded. The most common users of divine magic are clerics, druids, paladins, and rangers. Legendcraft Legendcraft isn’t truly magic, in that there exists no way to utilize it in common practice or channel it through spellcasting. Instead, it functions similarly to divine magic, with the memories and realized potential of past legends serving as disposable patrons. In order to prevent completely burning the legend out, legendcrafters must channel their art through the craft of magical items or rituals. Any artifact, relic, or working that bears the embedded inspiration of its creator is a kind of legendcraft. Legendcraft first came into being during the Second Age, with the craftsmen of the Coventran Empire. However, it was not fully realized until the artifacts of the Fourth Age - those objects literally forged from the body and essence of heroes and villains lost. It was later embodied by the wrought in the Eighth Age. The only common users of legendcraft are the wrought, in a way. While their existence relies on it, and each wrought serves as a kind of “living” artifact, they gain no special ability to draw upon it. Maneuvers Maneuvers aren’t magic. Instead, they are masteries of martial form, skill and artistry alloying in such a way as to appear supernatural. These are arranged into schools, with initiators following the teachings of one or more of the original masters—those chosen to wield the Jailer’s Blades. As martial stylings are wont to do, more styles and schools have evolved over the ages, distilled from the techniques of the first masters. Some more modern styles do use magic, or even psionics, but remain, at the core, martial arts. Maneuvers were first mastered in secret during the Fourth Age, to use in fighting against the technological perfections of Emperor Zudron. They have spread, evolved, and been mastered by warriors from all walks of life in the ages since. The most common users of maneuvers are stalkers, warders, and warlords. Psionics Psionics are the most recent form of magic, created by leonine castaways to serve as an alternative to the Sovereign contact required for arcane magic. Manifesters draw upon crystalline batteries, charged through planar contact and the concentrated willpower of manifesters past, as well as the latent energy generated by every sentient mind on the planet. Given its recency, its exact nature is still a constant topic for research, with those that brought it possessing ages of knowledge and prowess to draw upon. The lammasu of the Akeran Protectorate, as well as their ancient foes, the kheprel, first began teaching psionics to the people of the Divide in the Seventh Age. However, their records and accounts insist that they have been manifesting since the dawn of the Third Age. The most common users of psionics are psions, psionic warriors, and wilders.